Beyond the Exit Plan: Navigating Unexpected Challenges in Selling Your Business

Aaron is a Director for Axon Moore and head’s up Axon Moore’s Manchester office and specialises in the recruitment of FDs for ambitious and fast-growth businesses.

Managing a team of 8 consultants covering the full spectrum of finance roles from graduate to the boardroom, he and the team transform finance functions by uncovering and then bringing to market some of the region’s best talent.

With over a decade’s worth of experience in Accountancy and Financial recruitment, Aaron is the go-to for senior finance professionals and is the creator and face of Axon Moore’s Future Leaders programme. A programme designed to bring together ambitious finance professionals looking to progress to C-suite level positions. Future Leaders creates an environment where aspiring leaders can form a peer group, share best practice, advice and insight whilst strengthening their network and learning from high-calibre guest speakers.

Aaron has a long-term working relationship with many of the fastest growing SMEs in these geographies having partnered with them from early stages to them becoming major players in their respective markets.

Jeremy Cole, partner, has more than 21 years of corporate finance experience, working with successful businesses. Jeremy trained as a Chartered Accountant with Spicer & Oppenheim (now Deloitte & Touche) before joining PricewaterhouseCoopers in 1989, in Manchester. He spent 3 years working in PWC’s Silicon Valley office in San Jose, California, in the mid 1990’s, working closely with entrepreneurial technology and life science companies and venture capital funds.

He joined North West accountants Hurst & Company as a partner in 1997 to set up a corporate finance division, which he ran successfully until 2001, when he was approached by independent corporate finance firm TMG to join them as a partner.

In July 2002 Jeremy decided to establish his own corporate finance firm and set up Cole Associates.

Jeremy specialises in management buy-outs and buy-ins, corporate acquisitions and disposals, raising finance and due diligence. Jeremy invests a huge amount of energy and enthusiasm into each client’s transaction and enjoys a close working relationship with clients.

Erin is a Director in Saffery’s Corporate Finance team in Manchester, where she advises ambitious SMEs, entrepreneurial businesses and acquisitive corporates on growth, acquisitions and strategic transactions.

Working across a wide range of sectors, Erin leads financial due diligence engagements for acquisitions, investments and disposals, supporting business owners, management teams and investors in making informed commercial decisions. She particularly enjoys working with businesses pursuing buy-and-build strategies, helping them evaluate opportunities, manage transaction risk and deliver successful acquisitions that support long-term growth.

Erin is passionate about the SME market and enjoys working closely with management teams as they navigate key stages of their business journey. She believes successful transactions are built on strong relationships, commercial insight and a clear understanding of the strategic objectives behind every deal.

As an active member of the North West business community, Erin enjoys connecting people, building long-term relationships and supporting businesses that are looking to grow through acquisition, investment or succession.

Dave joined River Capital as an Investment Director in November 2022 bringing a 20-year track record of investing, lending and providing corporate finance advice within the SME and Mid-Market segments across a wide range of sectors, sizes, and geographies including senior positions within HSBC, Lloyds Banking Group, Cowgills and Maven Capital Partners.  

Dave now leads River Capital’s North West Private Equity fund in which he and his team seek opportunities to work with established businesses positioned for their next stage of development. Whether it’s a management buyout, partial realisation or growth funding, Dave can provide strategic guidance and capital resources to help take businesses to the next level.